When Kerala’s Chief Minister announced on 1 November 2025 that the state had eliminated extreme poverty, it drew attention both nationally and internationally. While debates over definitions and measurement emerged, most observers acknowledged that Kerala had successfully addressed severe deprivation by ensuring access to nutrition, healthcare, and education. The focus quickly turned to understanding how a lower middle-income state within a country with the world’s highest number of poor could achieve this milestone and what lessons it offers for developing countries, particularly in ASEAN.
Despite significant reductions in poverty across Southeast Asia, the region still faces…